[Sean Francis]

I find that some gentle wrist stretches help to ease the strain a little bit before playing, in between songs, and after playing. The repetitive motion is a big part of where the strain comes from; also, try sleeping in wrist braces for a while. I used to have really bad wrist problems, so the doctor advised me to start sleeping in wrist braces and things have gotten much better.

As for sticks, I've heard that the Eastman sticks mentioned above are good, and Zildjian makes an Anti-vibe stick, if you prefer the natural feel of wood, that employs a rubber core to stop most of the shock from absorbing into your hands/wrists.

Good luck!